Riding the NSR500

GIVEN THE NSR500’S REPUTATION AS A horsepower-laden handful even for the world’s very best riders, it seems strange to recall that journalists occasionally got to ride it too. Back in the era of the notoriously vicious two-strokes, when the only traction control came via the pilot’s right wrist, an end-of-season test of a title-winning race bike was a treat for a few hacks lucky enough to be involved.

In fact, the once peaky two-stroke engines had